Your tax obligations when hiring UK employees
The UK tax system works very differently from some other countries. Most UK workers have very little direct interaction with the tax system, instead their employer deducts their taxes from their wages before they even arrive in their bank account. This shifts a great amount of responsibility onto the employer and if you’re not familiar with the regulations it can be easy to slip up. Here are a few of the major things that you should keep in mind when you’re hiring UK employees on pay as you earn (PAYE) tax arrangements.
Income tax and National Insurance
Despite the different names, National Insurance broadly functions as a second form of income tax. It is deducted from all employees who earn over £113 a week (known as the lower earnings limit). These limits are generally raised slightly every year to keep up with growing wages.
Income tax works in a similar way, although there are multiple bands of tax. Very high earners will end up paying 45% tax on all of their income over £150,000. They will also lose the personal allowance that reduces the amount of tax paid by low and medium earners. The system is generally complex and it’s important to get advice from a qualified professional before you start up. HMRC (HM Revenue & Customs) is not known for being forgiving in situations where people have made mistakes.
Other deductions
The other main deduction that you will have to take into account is student loans. If your employees have taken on student finance, then you’re obliged to pay 9% of their salary over a certain threshold to the Student Loans Company. Again, this is a legal obligation and a mistake could cause serious problems for you and your employee.
You’re also required to pay a certain amount of your employee’s wages into a pension scheme and also make your own employer’s contribution. The amount that both you and your employee have to contribute is scheduled to go up over the coming years.
It’s well worth making sure that you’re across your obligations before starting up in the UK. A little time taken can save enormous problems at a later date. Goodwille are experts on the legal and financial obligations when setting up in the UK, and we are here to help your through the maze. Contact one of our team members for advice.
This text was written by Goodwille.co.uk
Related article by Goodwille: Expanding your company in the United Kingdom
